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Treasure Seekers

Conquistadors, Pirates, and Shipwrecks: Featuring a 60-foot, 18th-century pirate ship as its centerpiece, this permanent gallery introduces you to the explorers who landed in “La Florida” more than 500 years ago as well as little-known pirates like “Calico” Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny, who prowled Florida’s coasts in the 1700s.

Treasure Seekers Gallery at the Tampa Bay History Center
EXHIBIT TYPE: Permanent

Conquistadors

Though often identified in textbooks as “Spanish,” the individuals who journeyed to the New World came from various countries and had diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. While many were from Spain or sailed under the Spanish flag, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, North African, French, German, Dutch, and English sailors and explorers ventured across the Atlantic Ocean for fame and fortune. After crossing the Atlantic, Hernando de Soto set sail from Cuba, bound for La Florida on May 18, 1539. His 570-person crew, consisting of soldiers, priests, and women, along with livestock such as pigs and horses, made landfall in the Tampa Bay area on May 25.

Pirates

The image of swashbuckling pirates is as popular today as it was more than 100 years ago when the stereotype was created. The real picture is more complicated than most would suspect. They were often seen as a dirty, bloodthirsty group of criminals that scoured the sea, but they also understood the importance of democracy and equality among their crew members. They were, at times, employed by governments like the Spanish and French to disrupt enemy shipping routes and, at other times, left to their own devices. The numerous bays, inlets and islands around Florida and the Caribbean were their homes, where they could hide from the world’s navies.

Shipwrecks

During the Age of Sail, there was only one way to travel across the oceans – by ship. The Spanish had dominion over vast territories that produced immense wealth in the form of gold and silver. The relatively uncharted Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, along with the unknown nature of weather systems – particularly hurricanes – and the ever-present threat of pirates, made sailing around Florida very dangerous. Hundreds of ships, some laden with treasure, sank along the Florida coast and in the Caribbean. Recovery efforts started almost immediately and continue to this day – centuries after the ships went to the bottom of the sea.

Artifacts

Artifacts in the new Treasure Seekers gallery date back to the 1600s and include navigational tools, weaponry, pottery and other items recovered from Florida waters.

Bell in the Treasure Seekers gallery at the Tampa Bay History Center

Ship's Bell

17th century, bronze, 7 lbs. Used to signal the time of day, shift changes, or meal time on board the ship. It would likely have been the last sound heard as the ship was sinking.

Astrolabe in the Treasure Seekers gallery at the Tampa Bay History Center

Astrolabe

17th century, bronze, 6 inches in diameter, 5.5 lbs. Used to find the angle of celestial bodies to determine latitude. This artifact is extraordinarily rare; it will be one of only 100 in a museum collection.

Water jug in Treasure Seekers Gallery.

Pottery

17th century, half-dipped green glaze jug, 6 inches tall. The collection includes a wide variety of original tableware and pottery recovered from shipwrecks

Cannon

18th century, made of iron, 6 feet long. Recovered from a 2,000-foot-deep shipwreck in the Mediterranean. This 18th-century cannon was likely used on a Barbary pirate vessel.

Keep exploring...

Black Roots: From Dobyville to College Hill

An engaging historical journey on Oct. 6 On the evening of Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, the Tampa Bay History Center invites you to embark on a captivating historical journey titled "Black...

Read More
Twistin’ Down Central: A Tribute to Tampa’s Black Music Legends

Tampa Red, Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Webb, and Ray Charles are just a few of the notable musicians to play in Tampa during Central Avenue’s heyday. Join us as we dive into the work of...

Read More
Tampa’s historic streetcars

During the last two decades of the 1880s, Tampa was clearly a forerunner for transportation developments in Florida. Through the efforts of the Board of Trade, Tampa had, by 1886, two...

Read More

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    • Menu Container
      • Locations
        • History Center
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        • Touchton Map Library
        • Columbia Cafe
      • Visit
        • Tickets
        • Groups & Tours
        • Rentals
        • FAQs
      • Events
        • Event Calendar
        • Talks
        • Walking Tours
        • Special Events
    • 15th Annual Gala
      • Buy Tickets
  • Exhibits
    • Menu Container
      • Current Exhibits
        • Etched Feathers
        • Key West & the Florida Keys
      • Upcoming Exhibits
        • Florida Front and Center
        • Florida in the 1920s
      • More to Explore
        • Travails & Triumphs
        • Treasure Seekers
        • Touchton Map Library
        • Community Case
        • All Past Exhibits
    • Experience historic Florida.
      • Buy Tickets
  • Learning
    • Menu Container
      • Pre-K to 12
        • SHIP-SHAPE
        • Museum at Home
        • Field Trips
        • History-to-Go Kits
        • Teen Council
        • Summer Camps
      • Adult Education
        • Book Group
        • OLLI-USF Courses
        • Outreach Programs
      • Research
        • About the Collection
        • Touchton Map Library
    • Bring the adventure home.
      • Museum at Home
  • Blog
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      • History Center
        • Our History
        • Stewardship: Plans, Policies, and Financial Documents
        • Contact us
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        • Press Releases
        • Newsletters
    • Start a career in history.
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  • Support
    • Menu Container
      • Ways to Give
        • Membership
        • Exhibit Sponsor
        • Annual Fund
        • Memorials & Tributes
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        • Annual Gala
      • Get Involved
        • Volunteer
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    • Become a member.
      • See All Benefits